The Kansas City Chiefs are the Super Bowl 57 Champions. It is the third Lombardi Trophy they’ve won during the history of the franchise, and the second in four seasons.
The success of the Chiefs has given local fans in Missouri plenty of reason to get excited. In fact, during Super Bowl LVII, at least 250,000 attempts were made to bet on the big game from inside of MO with a domestic sportsbook.
These 250K online bets were blocked due to geo-tracking software. Placing a wager with a domestic sportsbook in a state that you are not standing in is illegal.
The volume of attempted wagers has legal sports betting in Missouri back on the radar of state legislators. At the moment, there’s no option for domestic sportsbooks in MO.
A recent legislative hearing regarding sports betting was held with supporters greatly outweighing opponents. Representatives from major professional sports franchises that reside in Missouri were on hand to support the effort.
The Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018, allowing each state to decide if they want to regulate in-person, online, or mobile sports betting.
Regions were slow to legalize sportsbooks at first, but as of 2023, there are less than 20 states remaining that have not regulated some form of wagering on athletics.
If that fact didn’t put enough pressure on MO politicians, citizens of the state’s most populated city live on the border of Kansas. Within minutes, folks in Kansas City can cross into KS and access their mobile sportsbooks.
There is also St. Louis which sits just across the river from Illinois – another legal sports betting state that permits mobile wagering apps.
“We are literally surrounded by folks who can participate in this industry.”
Missouri State Representative Ashley Aune
There is no law against traveling to another state and betting with their domestic options. You just can’t do it from a different state over the web, which is what was happening during Super Bowl LVII. Think of it like flying to Vegas and betting there – it’s the same situation.
A newly proposed Missouri sports betting bill would impose a hefty 21% tax on all revenue. That’s an 11% hike over prior legislation that only required a 10% scrape. As in other states, some funds are directed toward problem gaming initiatives.
While the feds were able to block all domestic-bound wagers in MO, there was nothing stopping locals from betting on the Super Bowl at offshore sportsbook sites.
International sportsbooks operate outside the jurisdiction of US or Missouri law from within regulated gaming districts. That designation allows them to lawfully accept members from inside of MO and allow them to wager on sports using devices connected to the web.
Because these books are not regulated by the United States, financial data on sports betting transactions are not available.
What is known for certain is that the Show-Me State is not getting a cut of the proceeds when those funds travel overseas.
The presence of nearby domestic options and online international gambling should prompt local elected officials to move the dial on sports betting quickly. Session adjourns on May 12th, so state-regulated betting venues could debut before the 2023-24 NFL season begins in September.
Sources: ABC 17 News, St Louis Post Dispatch
